If Dancing Were Any Easier, It Would Be Called Football.

John's going to love that title! I read a quote once that said "A child sings before it speaks, dances almost before it walks. Music is in our hearts from the beginning." I sometimes have a hard time describing my little girl in just one word. But I think it's safe to say that she LOVES LIFE. She enjoys anything and everything and will try anything new. One thing she has loved to do since I can remember is sing and dance. Maybe it's all the princess movies, maybe it's just Anabell. I put her in a tumbling class with her friend Kurtis and then a dance class. On the first day of her dance class I put her in some sweats and a t-shirt. It's a rink-a-dink, community dance class for 3 year olds, what more do they need? But when we showed up she stuck out like a sore thumb. All the girls were dressed up with flowers in their hair, cute pink and black tights under their darling ballerina tu tu's. Now, if you know me, I'm not one to buy things, especially name brand, to "fit in" or to "keep up with the Jones'" like so many mormon moms do here in Utah. I can spot out a Utah mormon mom from a mile away when I'm out of state, especially at a grocery store. Too funny. But that's another topic for another day. hee hee (I get so side tracked with my own wandering thoughts. Ethan just asked me to come see how big his poop was. Apparently it is HUGE. I shouldn't blog with my kids around me.)
ANYWHO...back to Anabell. I obviously noticed she didn't fit in, but she didn't seem to care. Good girl. Self confidence! When the girls with the tu tu's and other pretty skirts started twirling their skirts, Anabell pretended she had one on too. She grabbed her invisible skirt and twisted the lower half of her body back and forth. Too cute. Her class was going well. I loved watching Anabell do her chasse's, fondu's, first position, pas, plie, batma's and other dance techniques on stage. She was so cute and having so much fun. So I thought. About half way through, she ran off the stage and said she wanted to go home. She said "I don't have pretty dance clothes". What I felt at that moment took me by suprise. Rather than telling her to suck it up I felt sympathy and I was sad that my little girl was so embarrassed and noticed that she was, indeed, the odd ball. Awww...

John couldn't help but laugh at me when I told him what I did next. I cancelled my plans the next day and went on a hunt for a cute dance outfit. I went to the DI first because let's face it, I wanted my girl to fit in, but was I really going to spend $30 on a 3 year old who will outgrow it within the next year? Oc course not!..I didn't leap that far off the sympathy cliff. Anyway, after going to four stores I finally found a cheap, cute dance outfit for Anabell at Kid to Kid. I always forget we have one close to me. I would've saved myself a lot of time if I just went there first. But it was worth it. Anabell was able to feel like a beautiful ballerina and I only had to spare $7 out of my pocket. Win win. I have to say she is the cutest little dancer. After 8 weeks of dance, she learned 5 dances and a lot of techniques. I'm not sure if or when I'll put her in a class again. Like I said, she likes so many things. We'll just let her try different things and then hopefully in a couple of years, she'll have an idea as to what she wants to do. Until then, we'll enjoy watching her LIVE LIFE!
FIRST POSITION BALANCING ON POINTED TOES

Below is a short dance clip.